Narni, St Nicholas' Day

St Nicholas’ Day and Feast of FoolsSan Nicola, Festa dei FolliNext edition dates to be announced (the event was last held in 2012)Narni (Umbria region)ITALY

The Event

The event takes place in Narni, a charming medieval town located atop a hill on a rocky spur overlooking the beautiful valley of the river Nera, about 15km from Terni, in Umbria region, in a strategic location very close to the Geographic center of Italy and along the ancient “Via Flaminia” once linking Rome to the Adriatic Sea. The town boasts a rich artistic heritage and a very ancient history. The territory was already inhabited in the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages, while the town was founded by the ancient Umbri and called Nequinum, and became then a flourishing Roman municipium by name Narnia before reaching its zenith during the Middle Ages. The Irish novelist C. S. Lewis is said to have named the imaginary land of Narnia after Narni noticing the Latin name in an atlas during his childhood.

On December 6 St Nicholas is celebrated, the saint of Eastern origin, which cult was widelt spread among the towns and villages of Umbria during the Byzantine domination. During the feast of St Nicholas in Narni various activities take place, representing medieval traditions and customs and recalling the ancient "Feast of Fools" - a celebration in which young people dressed as clergy and performed parodic ceremonies. The annual celebration of Narni offers to visit a medieval market, take part in various street entertainment, ancient games and medieval banquets, as well as to experience a human chess game.

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